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Page 2...The Portland Observer...October 2,1991
U of O Brings Roy Jay
Back By Popular
Demand
LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR
Dear Editor:
M y name is L avontE . Baker. I am
a B lack inmate at Eastern Oregon C or­
rectional Institution and 1 have been
subjected to intense racial discrim ina­
tion. Please, I ’ ll explain.
On March 25th, 1991 at 3:00 p.m.
as I took a shower in my housing unit.
Correctional O ffice r; D w ight M itch­
e ll, looked at me for several minutes
w hile I bathed and then so boldly took
out a pencil and pad and drew a picture
o f a * ‘ m onkey” taking a shower, with
my name, “ Baker,” w ritten at the
bottom o f the drawing. This officer
then showed the picture around to other
inmates including m yself before he
threw it in the trash can, from where 1
later retrieved it and made copies.
This matter has been investigated
by the Inspector General office and the
State Police and my alligation was
substantiated and turned over to the In­
stitutional Branch o f action. Claims
Investigator for the Stale, Michael
Baker, has informed me that the State
does not provide coverage for what an
o fficer does outside the scope o f his
duties.
M y UIUUIVI/OIOIV«,
Brother/Sister, does
1VIJ
wwv., this mean
Portland business entrepreneur, Roy
Jay has been asked to return to the
campus o f University o f Oregon on
October 4 to be the keynote speaker at
the Lindquist Business Center.
Jay, who was a guest speaker at the
college last February, attracted the larg­
est crowd o f staff and students ot any o f
previous business speakers, according
to A lice Carnes, program administor.
* ‘This is the first time in the history
o f our program that students and staff
asked to have a speaker return again,”
said Carnes. The college has already
planned to move the presentation to a
larger fa c ility for Jay’ s upcoming pres­
that a State employee can intentionally
in flic t emotional distress upon me and
practice racial discrim ination while
swom in under the “ Color o f Stale
L aw .” 1 have been hum iliated, de­
graded, and outright punished because
o f the color o f my skin, by the Color o f
State Law and its representatives. That
is also cruel and unusual punishment.
The State has basically told me that my
pain and sufferings aren’t worthy o f its
compensation.
I have constantly tried to contact
several attorneys, but my communica­
tion has been lim ited and my efforts
have been fruitless. Please, i f there is
anything you can do to give me some
outside support or advice on how I can
seek help, I would be most apprecia­
tive. I don’ t want to let this insane
matter go unchallenged and because
the State refuses to acknowledge my
situation I feel the public should know
how Eastern Oregon Correctional In ­
stitution and Corrections Director, Fred
Pearce are letting this sort o f discrim i­
nation be overlooked as unim portant
Please respond.
T ru ly,
Lavont Baker
entation.
The African-Am erican business
owner who was raised in Portland’ s
Columbia V illa Housing project has
also been asked by the Dean o f the
Business College to serve on one o f the
colleges business advisory boards.
Jay, at 44, is involved in several
business operations in Portland and is
involved in various comm unity and
business organizations throughout the
state.
For further inform ation, contact
Trade-Mark Corporation, 244-2689, Ext.
42, or A lice Carnes, U niversity o f
Oregon/Lindquist College o f Business,
Eugene.
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o
CIVIL RIGHTS JOURNAL
By Benjamin F Chavis, Jr.
Celebrating Contributions of African American
From The Aquarian Bookstore on
Western Avenue in Los Angeles to the
Liberation Bookstore on M alcolm X
Boulevard in Harlem, m illion s o f per­
sons have benefited from the unique
and important contributions o f African
American bookstores established across
the nation. In particular, the African
American community has been well
served by the presence o f community-
based bookstores that have made avail­
able books and printed material on the
African and African American experi­
ence. Very often the books that these
bookstores offer can not be found any­
where else because o f the existance o f
racial discrimination in both the pub­
lishing and book distribution indus­
tries.
This is a “ good news” story. On
Saturday, October 5, 1991, African
American authors, storytellers, and
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leaders from throughout the country
w ill gather at The Aquarian Bookstore
located at 3995 So. Western Avenue in
Los Angeles, C alifornia. The occasion
is the 50th Anniversary Celebration o f
The Aquarian Bookstore, the nation’ s
oldest continuously running African
S ••;
American bookstore.
Under the theme, “ 50 years: A
Legacy o f Knowledge,” a Nationl
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Aquarian Bookstore Jubilee Coordi­
nating Committee has been organized.
We jo in w ith the National Coordinat­
ing Committee in paying tribute to the
historic efforts o f Dr. A lfre d M . and
Mrs. Bernice Ligon, the proprietors o f
The Aquarian Bookstore, fo r their out­
standing vigilance and commitment to
the African American community.
Since 1941, A lfred and Bernice
Ligon have worked together and
struggled to keep the doors o f the book­
store opened. They have witnessed first
hand the constructive role o f African
American literature in the various
“ movements” fo r freedom, liberation
and justice during the last five decades.
They are also aware o f the need to keep
the A frican American literary tradition
alive fo r future generations.
A t a time when there is a need to
strengthen instiutions serving the inter­
est o f the A frican American and other
racial and ethnic communities, it is
important to draw lessons from the
successful experience o f Alfred and
Bemice Ligon and The Aquarian Book­
store. For example, back in 1941, the
Ligons not only had “ a dream,” but
also they understood the necessity to
work consistently to make their dream
a reality, despite the hardships and d if-
ficulties thrown by society in their path.
Dr. Haki Madhubuti, President o f
the A frican American Publishers and
Booksellers Association and owner o f
the Chicago-based Third W orld Press
confirm s that there has been a steady
increase in the number o f A frican
American bookstores during the last 30
years.
Some o f us s till remember the pro­
found positive im p actof The Drum and
Spear Bookstore on the A frican A m eri­
can com m unity in Washington, D.C.
20 years ago. Today, Hodan A li’ s
Pyramid Bookstores provide the na­
tio n ’s capital city w ith w ritings o f the
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‘QUtje Ç o rtla n h (©bseriier
(USPS 959-680)
OREGON’S OLDEST AFRICAN AMERICAN PUBLICATION
Established in 1970
Alfred L. Henderson
Publisher
Joyce Washington
Operations Manager
Gary Ann Garnett
Business Manager
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he
P ortland O bserver
CAN BE SENT DIRECTLY TO
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PO Box 3137
P ortland , O regon 97208
photographs should be clearly labeled and will be returned if accompanied by a
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without the written consent of the general manager, unless the client has
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purchased the composrtion of such ad. © 1991 THE PORTLAND OBSERVER.
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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT
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Subscriptions:$25.00 per year.
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Address
city, State
PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED.
innovation.?
I f you were watching the Town
H all program on K A T U Sunday eve­
ning, you would know that this 1 inn has
made a technical contribution that cannot
help but affect the education o f our
children on a nationwide basis. The
electronic wizards on their staff have
m odified the Nintendo games such that
you (or your child) M A Y PLAY LOTTO
F R O M Y O U R L IV IN G R O O M
C OUCH. The possibility that students
w ould become involved in this gam­
bling was heatedly denied by the head
o f the Oregon State Lottery. He made a
very strange (naive?) statement; “ Kids
w ill not be able to play because parents
w ill be given a code and besides, they
H A V E CONTROL OVER THE TELE­
VISIO N S IN T H E H O M E .”
N ow , is this man a fo ol or a charla­
tan - or both? The w orld knows that
kids from nine years o f age up are
breaking into the computer files o f
industry and the data banks o f the m ili­
tary and the space programs. So, why
would codes divised by persons o f the
just demonstrated smarts o f the Lottery
Commission be impregnable to preco­
cious children? Other participants stared
at our lottery guru in incredulity as he
glib y spun o ff the answer above and a
number o f other patronizing statements.
Note that the School D istrict has just
issued a new advice on homework.
African American state senator Jim
H ill won the respect and support o f a
large number o f the partricipanls when
he roundly condemned this caper. He
was joined in this position by a number
o f concerned citizens like the honor­
able Rodney Page; they pointed out
that aside from the expected diversion
from prim e study and homework time,
this was a dangerous escalation o f the
gam bling syndrone to the level o f
INTERACTIVE CASINO W AGERING
IN T H E O N C E S A C R O S A N C T
HOMES OF OREG ON C ITIZEN S.
(Casino gambling is specifically fo r­
bidden under the Oregon Constitution
- b u t the Lottery Commission is on a
ro ll - out o f control). How many budg­
ets and fam ilies w ill suffer?
I hope that many o f you readers
w ill w rite Senator H ill in support o f his
interest and dedication in issues vital to
us all; Jim H ill, 4584 12th Place S „
Salem, OR 97302, (1-378-8071). This
was not my original agenda fo r this
week, but I believe that critica l issues
like this should always have priority.
As often said in these columns, “ Eter­
nal vigilance is the price o f liberty -
and a decent education fo r y our child. ”
By the way, you cannot reach those
bureaucrats at the Lottery Commission
by asking Inform ation in Salem, but
their number is 1-373-0267 (State phone
directory). The 1991-92 “ Oregon Blue
B ook” provides the fo llo w in g entré
into the m ystical domains; James J.
Davey, Lottery Director, 2767 22nd
SL, S. E. Salem 97310, 1-373-0202.
Good luck!
Do not underestimate the necesssity
for citizens o f this stale to m onitor and
interact w ith their state commissions
and other institutions. W hat often goes
on in Oregon is often a microcosm o f
Washington, D.C. -- and you know
how that is. In closing I w ill cite an
example, events o f a decade ago which
could not help but arouse suspicions ot
circumstances beyond just an inept bu­
reaucracy. This was in earlier days o f
the “ Oregon Economic Development
Corporation. “ I had been distressed by
complaints o f m inorities that were not
getting their (or any) share o f the pie.
It required several all day rounds
o f being passed from phone to phone
and desk to desk and bureaucrat to
bureaucrat before getting even a h a lf­
way intelligent or coherent answer to
the query, “ How does one go about
getting an application form fo r request­
ing a share o f the highly touted larg­
esse? What, you don’t have o ne ? -w e ll
how about a brochure or pamphlet
describing your program?’ ’ W e ll, there
was none o f the above to be had by a
small fry Oregon taxpayer, but tw o
weeks later I did get an o ffic ia l looking
piece o f m ail from them. Inside was a
single, sloppy PH O TO STAT O F A
PAGE FROM T H E OREGON BLU E
BO O K. I got their name, address, and
phone numbers which I already had
(A n y better now?)
So heavy on the vigilance folks,
and i t ’ s back to the more fa m ilia r as­
pect o f the educational ranch in the
com ing weeks.
P o rtlan d O bserver Salutes
c
B lack E lectricians
n
UNION LOCAL 48
United Airlines
WFje Ç o r t l a n ù ( B s e r u e r
Reinvestment^
Community
What Is a "Good Faith Effort"?
Wc often hear that phrase, a black television commentator and pub­
“ good faith effort” as having been made lisher o f “ Tony Brown’s Journal” . Here,
by someone or another—or by a particu­ he took to task some o f the most hal­
lowed and respected echelons o f the
lar organization. But, just what, ex­
actly, docs it mean? Under sonic c ir­ black leadership hierarchy. Specifically,
he furnished the follow ing quotes o f
cumstances we feel that we know very
well the extent o f the implied commit- W illiam Reed, a columnist for the Black-
m en t-to deliver, to expedite, to dis­ owned Washington, D.C. newspaper,
charge a debt, or whatever. For in­ Capital Spotlight.
“ The Congressional Black
stance, wc often have it from the United
Caucus
weekend
is the most glaring
States Government, “ backed by the full-
evidence
o
f
a
two-decade-old
saga o f
faith and credit o f [the government].”
ineptness,
mismanagement,
lack
o f ac­
But, today, I would lead us injo
countability
and
vision
o
f
our
so-called
another area for assessment of this ubiqui­
“ After 20 years o f CBC week­
tous term. W hile I ’ ve been w riting this
current scries on "M in o rity Business” ends, the most obvious evidence o f Black
(concluded this week on Business Page), leadership having been on Capitol H ill
I find myself reluming to frequent are thousands o f Scotch bottles, a’ slcw
thoughts concerning the level o f com- o f chicken bones and a host o f white
m itm ent-and, indeed, the s in c c rily -o f merchants rushing to the bank to deposit
many o f the African Americans who the one-half b illion dollars they receive
make such a noisy and highly-publi­ each year from CBC hotel rentals and
the sale of Scotch and hot buffalo wings.”
cized case for an immediate and mas­
“ This is one o f those 150 an­
sive escalation o f the m inority business
nual
gct-logclhcrs
where middle-class
effort (seldom accompanied by action,
Blacks
are
spending
3 billion dollars
let alone a structured plan for implem ­
with while people while discussing how
entation).
In the immediate case, my re­ bad o ff wc arc and blaming racism for it.
flections arc prompted by a recent col­ I, o f course, have proposed that all Black
umn o f Tony Brown, the well-known groups cancel their 1992 meetings and
use the $3 b illion as a capital formation
fund to rebuild our community.”
“ I think this position is well
taken, a rather succinct assessment, right
to the “ inept” point-and every b it as
caustic a presentation as I would have
made (smiles). Further, I think it is a
logic thatcould be applied to this micro­
cosm, Portland, Oregon. We know that
1 have made th is case a number o f times,
not only in articles and in spccchcd-
but, going so far as to design and imple­
ment university calsses incorporating
both the standard business and legal
structures o f enterprise, but also the real­
time experiences o f successful enterpre-
ncurs.
So what is that can be d on e-
that isn‘t being donc-lhat must be done?
Never in history has the racc3 had so
many college graduates, so many blacks
in experience-gaining positions in man­
agement, technology and the Financial
interface. But it would seem that it was
the lesser educated and exposed blacks
o f yesteryear who had the drive, ambi­
tion and motivation to successfully launch
many viable business enterprises. What
do you think is the answer? W rite us
here at the paper; we’d like to hear from
you!
zip-code
The Portland Observer-Oregon’s Oldest African-American Publication-is a member
..
W c should not be surprised at a ll i f
the C ontrol Data Corporation should
win the next "M a lco lm Forbes Award”
for excellence in the American busi­
ness com m unity. And just what has this
majoy player in the w o rld ’ s computer
industry contributed to a lagging indus­
trial sector that it should deserve the
highest o f honors for Technology and
Stye ^ o rila n h (Observer
and
self addressed envelope. All created design display ads become the sole property
Nintendo To The Rescue
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mass consumerism.
Thank you Alfred and Bemice Ligon
for the 50 years o f service at The A q ­
uarian Bookstore. Thank you for
PER YEAR.
Deadline for all submitted materials:
Articles: Monday, 5:00 pm-Ads: Tuesday, noon
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city o f Los Angeles. The youth o f our
comm unities especially need to receive
the wealth o f knowledge that can be
found in these bookstores. When this
year’ s holiday season begins, let us
give more gifts o f books and kn ow l­
edge rather than fa ll into the traps o f
your home only $ 2 5 .0 0
The PORTLAND OBSERVER is
published weekly by
Exie Publishing Company, Inc.
4747 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Portland, Oregon 97211
503-288-0033 • Fax 288-0015
w er
!
struggle o f African Americans.
Thus, the contributions o f A lfre d
and Bemice Ligon go far beyond the
Portland Observer encourages our readers to write
letters to the editor in response to any articles
we publish.
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of the Nat.onal Newspaper Association-Founded in 1885. and The National
Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc . New York, NY.
T hank Y ou F or R eading
T he P ortland O bserve
A
P j
"Reinvestments in the Community" is a weekly column appearing
in API publications through out the USA
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